Earplugs shootout: Hearos vs Etymotic

MadWerewolfBoy

New member
Hey ya guys!

I think ear protection is important especially if one's jamming/performing many times a week.

So, just doing a comparison for the benefit of everyone, between Hearos vs Etymotic Hi-fi Earplugs

http://hearos.com/earplugs/products-00211.html
vs
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx

People who have these products, how do they compare with each other? Are they physically the same product from the same factory? Because superficially, they seem so. Please share!
 
i'm using a similar looking version except you see how the hearos and etys are "3 barrier layers" , mine's a "4 barrier" one , bought inside paya lebar airbase at $28 4 years ago. swear by it haha.
 
hmm no it doesn't, it had a manual but threw it away, it's blue and yellow in colour. probably gotta get someone from that base to buy it. it's very comfy for me cos the silicon barriers is soft and all. but lately I've been looking at those Hearos $2, look like butt plugs but "ear". I've been wondering is the "barrier thing" that all important. what if it's just a thick chunk of cork-look-a-like. it should fend off more noises except the ones that run through your skull right?
 
Oh yes, those sponge ones are very effective at blocking out everything. So much so that they block out what your bandmates/performers are playing and you can barely hear clearly some frequencies.

These layered earplugs are good at reducing noise level on all frequencies so that it is as if you are hearing everything normally but at a lower volume which explains their usefulness in jamming studios and performances.
 
i've been using these earplugs i bought from guardian pharmacy. its not foam its some rubber thing. it seems to work quite well by making everything softer but preserving the higher frequencies. funny i never saw them selling it again.
 
they look like the ones that SAF issue for live firing purposes lol... SAF ones cheaper, $1.50 only, not bad sound isolation heh :)

Seriously though, I never got used to these kinda bi or tri-flange earplugs cos I tend to keep fiddling around with it to try and get a better seal and block out more noise. End result, pain from the rubber chafing the skin inside the ear canal :(
 
the hearos one i have is the one with the cord attached to it. And it's... Um somewhere around the house. Haven't tried the one from sim lim yet though. I lose things too easily so i tell myself not to buy them...
 
the etymotic ones are not band, my band mate has them and i use em sometimes. can get from simlim at i think 25 bucks or smtg.
 
there's a cheaper solution to all these problems.
its simply to:

TURN DOWN VOLUME WHEN JAMMING!!!

my $18/hr worth :lol:
 
u know, i recently went to the OCS camp, some JC program. They had live firing, so they gave everyone earplugs. i've about 10 sets now which i use for jamming. lol. does the brand really make a difference? it seems ok to me.
 
Are the earplugs similar to the one displayed on both webbies?

If they are sponge, well, a dozen can be had for less than $5. Those are really effective at blocking out sound, so much so that they block out much more trebles than bass, and at a rating of -40dB, well, you can stand infront of a live concert monitor and not worry about hearing damage. Instead, you'll be more concerned about not being able to hear what's coming through properly.
 
hmmm but the volume is not only the problem. hearos balances out everything and flattens all the frequencies so you hear a a balance of the sounds.. i think that turning your volume lower would be a different effect because you would be standing closer to a certain amp won't you?
 
sometimes I want a world of peace and quiet. all I wanna hear is my heartbeat/neck and joints squeaking and my breathing. I'd wear my earplugs + ear muffs... it's cool..
 
Hmmm, I've een using the hearos sponge earplugs for awhile now, and yea I gotta agree that it drowns pretty much everything. But still I always chose it over the ones they gave for live firing cause its just more comfortable..

Gotta get proper ones soon..
 
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